2009 European Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Rubens Barrichello ended a five-year wait for victory with a beautifully judged drive through Valencia’s streets. The Brazilian beat Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Räikkönen as Brawn GP returned to the top step, while Red Bull Racing endured a costly afternoon without points.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren
Pole time	1:39.498
Fastest lap	Timo Glock	Toyota
Fastest-lap time	1:38.683 on lap 55
First	Rubens Barrichello	Brawn GP
Second	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren
Third	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
21 August 2009	Practice 1	10:00
21 August 2009	Practice 2	14:00
22 August 2009	Practice 3	11:00
22 August 2009	Qualifying	14:00
23 August 2009	Race	14:00

All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.

Championship background

Jenson Button arrived at round 11 leading the 2009 F1 World Championship on 70 points, with Mark Webber on 51.5. Brawn GP headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 114 points.

Race entries

Romain Grosjean replaced Nelson Piquet at Renault. Ferrari called on Luca Badoer to stand in for the injured Felipe Massa after Michael Schumacher’s proposed comeback was prevented by a neck injury. It was Luca Badoer’s first Grand Prix appearance since 1999.

Free Practice

Rubens Barrichello led FP1 as Valencia’s heat appeared to suit Brawn GP better than the cooler recent rounds. Force India’s updates also showed promise, with Adrian Sutil running competitively. The two incoming drivers had a substantial learning task: Romain Grosjean adapted to the Renault while Luca Badoer began reacquainting himself with Grand Prix weekend running.

Fernando Alonso set the fastest lap in FP2 despite a collision with Nick Heidfeld near the pit entrance and a subsequent spin. Lewis Hamilton’s afternoon was severely curtailed by an early accident, leaving McLaren short of running from its leading car. Luca Badoer continued to work through his return to racing but remained well down the order.

Adrian Sutil gave Force India another encouraging result by topping final practice. Sebastian Vettel’s engine failure left oil on the circuit and brought out a red flag, interrupting everyone’s preparations. The stoppage also added to Red Bull Racing’s reliability concerns, while Luca Badoer finished the session last.

Free Practice 1 Classification

2009 European Grand Prix FP1, 21 August 2009

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	23	Rubens Barrichello	Brawn GP	1:42.460	19
2	2	Heikki Kovalainen	McLaren	+0.176s	16
3	1	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren	+0.194s	18
4	22	Jenson Button	Brawn GP	+0.614s	19
5	15	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull Racing	+0.628s	17
6	20	Adrian Sutil	Force India	+0.749s	13
7	17	Kazuki Nakajima	Williams	+0.765s	25
8	14	Mark Webber	Red Bull Racing	+0.783s	19
9	7	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+0.885s	18
10	4	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	+0.924s	23
11	12	Sebastien Buemi	Toro Rosso	+0.929s	30
12	5	Robert Kubica	BMW Sauber	+0.959s	20
13	11	Jaime Alguersuari	Toro Rosso	+1.177s	30
14	16	Nico Rosberg	Williams	+1.286s	22
15	6	Nick Heidfeld	BMW Sauber	+1.580s	23
16	21	Giancarlo Fisichella	Force India	+1.666s	17
17	8	Romain Grosjean	Renault	+1.896s	23
18	9	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	+2.178s	26
19	10	Timo Glock	Toyota	+2.272s	28
20	3	Luca Badoer	Ferrari	+3.380s	25

Free Practice 2 Classification

2009 European Grand Prix FP2, 21 August 2009

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	7	Fernando Alonso	Renault	1:39.404	33
2	22	Jenson Button	Brawn GP	+0.774s	33
3	23	Rubens Barrichello	Brawn GP	+0.805s	34
4	16	Nico Rosberg	Williams	+0.981s	39
5	17	Kazuki Nakajima	Williams	+1.099s	35
6	20	Adrian Sutil	Force India	+1.192s	23
7	5	Robert Kubica	BMW Sauber	+1.239s	34
8	21	Giancarlo Fisichella	Force India	+1.277s	31
9	15	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull Racing	+1.319s	33
10	2	Heikki Kovalainen	McLaren	+1.334s	31
11	4	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	+1.335s	39
12	9	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	+1.366s	32
13	8	Romain Grosjean	Renault	+1.383s	35
14	14	Mark Webber	Red Bull Racing	+1.552s	37
15	10	Timo Glock	Toyota	+1.581s	30
16	12	Sebastien Buemi	Toro Rosso	+1.752s	34
17	6	Nick Heidfeld	BMW Sauber	+1.946s	29
18	3	Luca Badoer	Ferrari	+2.613s	37
19	11	Jaime Alguersuari	Toro Rosso	+2.685s	34
20	1	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren	+3.810s	3

Free Practice 3 Classification

2009 European Grand Prix FP3, 22 August 2009

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	20	Adrian Sutil	Force India	1:39.143	12
2	17	Kazuki Nakajima	Williams	+0.104s	12
3	5	Robert Kubica	BMW Sauber	+0.370s	12
4	2	Heikki Kovalainen	McLaren	+0.410s	8
5	16	Nico Rosberg	Williams	+0.589s	11
6	21	Giancarlo Fisichella	Force India	+0.621s	12
7	22	Jenson Button	Brawn GP	+0.740s	10
8	1	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren	+0.807s	12
9	9	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	+0.874s	11
10	8	Romain Grosjean	Renault	+0.945s	11
11	12	Sebastien Buemi	Toro Rosso	+0.975s	12
12	23	Rubens Barrichello	Brawn GP	+1.049s	10
13	6	Nick Heidfeld	BMW Sauber	+1.087s	12
14	4	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	+1.117s	12
15	7	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+1.259s	9
16	10	Timo Glock	Toyota	+1.300s	10
17	14	Mark Webber	Red Bull Racing	+1.736s	10
18	15	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull Racing	+1.773s	6
19	11	Jaime Alguersuari	Toro Rosso	+1.982s	12
20	3	Luca Badoer	Ferrari	+3.055s	14

Qualifying

Lewis Hamilton secured pole ahead of Heikki Kovalainen, giving McLaren the front row. Heikki Kovalainen’s mistake on his final lap cost him a chance to challenge his teammate, while Rubens Barrichello qualified third and remained firmly in contention for the race.

Sebastian Vettel placed fourth ahead of Jenson Button as the championship contenders prepared for a strategic contest on a circuit with limited overtaking opportunities. Luca Badoer’s difficult return continued at the back, leaving Ferrari’s race prospects largely with Kimi Räikkönen.

Qualifying Classification

2009 European Grand Prix Qualifying, 22 August 2009

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Laps
1	1	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren	1:38.649	1:38.182	1:39.498	15
2	2	Heikki Kovalainen	McLaren	1:38.816	1:38.230	1:39.532	26
3	23	Rubens Barrichello	Brawn GP	1:39.019	1:38.076	1:39.563	21
4	15	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull Racing	1:39.295	1:38.273	1:39.789	21
5	22	Jenson Button	Brawn GP	1:38.531	1:38.601	1:39.821	22
6	4	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	1:38.843	1:38.782	1:40.144	25
7	16	Nico Rosberg	Williams	1:39.039	1:38.346	1:40.185	25
8	7	Fernando Alonso	Renault	1:39.155	1:38.717	1:40.236	21
9	14	Mark Webber	Red Bull Racing	1:38.983	1:38.625	1:40.239	21
10	5	Robert Kubica	BMW Sauber	1:38.806	1:38.747	1:40.512	23
11	6	Nick Heidfeld	BMW Sauber	1:39.032	1:38.826	—	17
12	20	Adrian Sutil	Force India	1:39.145	1:38.846	—	18
13	10	Timo Glock	Toyota	1:39.459	1:38.991	—	15
14	8	Romain Grosjean	Renault	1:39.322	1:39.040	—	16
15	12	Sébastien Buemi	Toro Rosso	1:38.912	1:39.514	—	17
16	21	Giancarlo Fisichella	Force India	1:39.531	—	—	11
17	17	Kazuki Nakajima	Williams	1:39.795	—	—	8
18	9	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	1:39.807	—	—	10
19	11	Jaime Alguersuari	Toro Rosso	1:39.925	—	—	10
20	3	Luca Badoer	Ferrari	1:41.413	—	—	13

What happened in the 2009 European Grand Prix?

Lewis Hamilton retained the lead at the start, with Heikki Kovalainen and Rubens Barrichello following. Kimi Räikkönen moved into fourth, while contact further back disrupted several races. Rubens Barrichello stayed out longer at the first stops to move ahead of Heikki Kovalainen and began applying pressure to Lewis Hamilton.

The decisive moment came during the second pit-stop sequence. McLaren was not ready with Lewis Hamilton’s tyres when he arrived, and Rubens Barrichello used his additional laps before stopping to emerge ahead. Sebastian Vettel’s race had already unravelled through refuelling trouble followed by an engine failure, leaving Red Bull Racing with little to celebrate.

Rubens Barrichello held on to win for the first time since the 2004 Chinese Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton finished second, with Kimi Räikkönen taking third after passing Heikki Kovalainen through the stops. Jenson Button scored in seventh while Mark Webber missed the points, making this an especially valuable afternoon for Brawn GP in both championships.

After the race, Jenson Button headed the drivers’ standings with 72 points, followed by Rubens Barrichello on 54. Brawn GP led the constructors’ table on 126, with Red Bull Racing on 98.5.

2009 European Grand Prix race results

The 2009 European Grand Prix was held on 23 August 2009, with a scheduled start of 14:00 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	23	Rubens Barrichello	Brawn GP	57	1:35:51.289	10
2	1	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren	57	+2.358	8
3	4	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	57	+15.994	6
4	2	Heikki Kovalainen	McLaren	57	+20.032	5
5	16	Nico Rosberg	Williams	57	+20.870	4
6	7	Fernando Alonso	Renault	57	+27.744	3
7	22	Jenson Button	Brawn GP	57	+34.913	2
8	5	Robert Kubica	BMW Sauber	57	+36.667	1
9	14	Mark Webber	Red Bull Racing	57	+44.910	0
10	20	Adrian Sutil	Force India	57	+47.935	0
11	6	Nick Heidfeld	BMW Sauber	57	+48.822	0
12	21	Giancarlo Fisichella	Force India	57	+1:03.614	0
13	9	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	57	+1:04.527	0
14	10	Timo Glock	Toyota	57	+1:26.519	0
15	8	Romain Grosjean	Renault	57	+1:31.774	0
16	11	Jaime Alguersuari	Toro Rosso	56	+1 Lap	0
17	3	Luca Badoer	Ferrari	56	+1 Lap	0
18	17	Kazuki Nakajima	Williams	54	Tyre	0
Ret	12	Sébastien Buemi	Toro Rosso	41	Brakes	0
Ret	15	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull Racing	23	Engine	0

2009 European Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time	Avg. Speed
1	10	Timo Glock	Toyota	55	1:38.683	197.687
2	22	Jenson Button	Brawn GP	46	1:38.874	197.305
3	23	Rubens Barrichello	Brawn GP	39	1:38.990	197.074
4	1	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren	57	1:39.056	196.943
5	4	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	39	1:39.207	196.643
6	16	Nico Rosberg	Williams	52	1:39.329	196.401
7	2	Heikki Kovalainen	McLaren	56	1:39.341	196.378
8	5	Robert Kubica	BMW Sauber	55	1:39.374	196.312
9	8	Romain Grosjean	Renault	41	1:39.428	196.206
10	7	Fernando Alonso	Renault	46	1:39.494	196.076
11	14	Mark Webber	Red Bull Racing	50	1:39.528	196.009
12	20	Adrian Sutil	Force India	36	1:39.622	195.824
13	6	Nick Heidfeld	BMW Sauber	53	1:39.704	195.663
14	17	Kazuki Nakajima	Williams	53	1:39.747	195.578
15	9	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	52	1:39.941	195.199
16	15	Sebastian Vettel	Red Bull Racing	13	1:39.992	195.099
17	21	Giancarlo Fisichella	Force India	53	1:40.111	194.867
18	3	Luca Badoer	Ferrari	52	1:40.590	193.939
19	11	Jaime Alguersuari	Toro Rosso	29	1:40.935	193.276
20	12	Sebastien Buemi	Toro Rosso	37	1:41.042	193.072

Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. Average speeds are in km/h. No fastest-lap bonus point was awarded.

2009 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings after the 2009 European Grand Prix.

2009 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Jenson Button	British	Brawn GP	72
2	Rubens Barrichello	Brazilian	Brawn GP	54
3	Mark Webber	Australian	Red Bull Racing	51.5
4	Sebastian Vettel	German	Red Bull Racing	47
5	Nico Rosberg	German	Williams	29.5
6	Lewis Hamilton	British	McLaren	27
7	Kimi Räikkönen	Finnish	Ferrari	24
8	Jarno Trulli	Italian	Toyota	22.5
9	Felipe Massa	Brazilian	Ferrari	22
10	Timo Glock	German	Toyota	16
11	Fernando Alonso	Spanish	Renault	16
12	Heikki Kovalainen	Finnish	McLaren	14
13	Nick Heidfeld	German	BMW Sauber	6
14	Robert Kubica	Polish	BMW Sauber	3
15	Sébastien Buemi	Swiss	Toro Rosso	3
16	Sébastien Bourdais	French	Toro Rosso	2
17	Giancarlo Fisichella	Italian	Force India	0
18	Adrian Sutil	German	Force India	0
19	Kazuki Nakajima	Japanese	Williams	0
20	Nelson Piquet	Brazilian	Renault	0
21	Jaime Alguersuari	Spanish	Toro Rosso	0
22	Romain Grosjean	French	Renault	0
23	Luca Badoer	Italian	Ferrari	0

2009 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Brawn GP	126
2	Red Bull Racing	98.5
3	Ferrari	46
4	McLaren	41
5	Toyota	38.5
6	Williams	29.5
7	Renault	16
8	BMW Sauber	9
9	Toro Rosso	5
10	Force India	0

2009 Formula 1 Race Calendar

Round	Grand Prix	Circuit	Date
1	2009 Australian Grand Prix	Albert Park Circuit, Melbourne	29 March
2	2009 Malaysian Grand Prix	Sepang International Circuit, Sepang	5 April
3	2009 Chinese Grand Prix	Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai	19 April
4	2009 Bahrain Grand Prix	Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir	26 April
5	2009 Spanish Grand Prix	Circuit de Catalunya, Montmeló	10 May
6	2009 Monaco Grand Prix	Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo	24 May
7	2009 Turkish Grand Prix	Istanbul Park, Istanbul	7 June
8	2009 British Grand Prix	Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone	21 June
9	2009 German Grand Prix	Nürburgring, Nürburg	12 July
10	2009 Hungarian Grand Prix	Hungaroring, Mogyoród	26 July
11	2009 European Grand Prix	Valencia Street Circuit, Valencia	23 August
12	2009 Belgian Grand Prix	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot	30 August
13	2009 Italian Grand Prix	Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza	13 September
14	2009 Singapore Grand Prix	Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore	27 September
15	2009 Japanese Grand Prix	Suzuka International Racing Course, Suzuka	4 October
16	2009 Brazilian Grand Prix	Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo	18 October
17	2009 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix	Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi	1 November